Al Roker, the weather presenter on “Today,” shared his shocking near-death experience during a guest appearance on Friday’s show after disappearing from the program in November.
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb were among several members of the “Today” team who welcomed Roker back as he shared the story of his medical struggle alongside his wife, Deborah.
“It’s not lost on us that it’s a big thing for Al to even be here,” Deborah said during the program. “He is a living, breathing miracle.”
Roker explained he suffered from stomach pain and was later admitted to the hospital where he endured a major surgical procedure.
“Al was a very, very, very sick man. Most people didn’t know that,” Deborah said. “A team of doctors had to figure out what was happening. He was a medical mystery for a couple of weeks.”
The popular weather reporter revealed he nearly died from internal bleeding. He was originally hospitalized for blood clots that had developed on his leg and later traveled to his lungs.
Deborah referenced a slew of tests that Roker endured, describing the experience as “the most tumultuous, frightening journey we have ever been on, ” Deborah said.
“Look, I had two complicating things. I had blood clots that they think came up after I had COVID in September, and then I had this internal bleeding going on. I lost half my blood and they were trying to figure out where it was. And finally, they went in, did the surgery, and it ended up [being] two bleeding ulcers.” Roker said.
“The issue was the doctors weren’t initially sure where of the origin of the bleeding,” he noted. (RELATED: REPORT: Former NFL Star Peyton Hillis In ICU After Saving His Kids From Drowning)
Dr. Felice H. Schnoll-Sussman, who treated Al At New York Presbyterian Hospital, added her comments to the conversation. “We were extraordinarily concerned about Al. He had a life-threatening experience,” she said.
The depths of his medical issues didn’t become clear until Roker was on the operating table. Roker underwent emergency surgery, during which doctors discovered a series of concerning issues. They re-sectioned his colon and took out his gallbladder during the procedure, the weatherman explained.
“I went in for one operation and got four free,” Roker quipped.